Mass Defect

Front

What is mass defect (Δm)?

Back

Mass defect is the difference between the mass of an atomic nucleus and the sum of the masses of its individual protons and neutrons.

Front

What is binding energy?

Back

Binding energy is the energy required to disassemble a nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons, equivalent to the mass defect.

Front

What is the formula for calculating mass defect?

Back

Δm = (Zm_p + Nm_n) - m_nucleus where Z is the number of protons and N is the number of neutrons.

Front

What does the symbol Z represent in nuclear physics?

Back

Z represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.

Front

What does the symbol N represent in nuclear physics?

Back

N represents the number of neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

Front

How is binding energy related to mass defect?

Back

Binding energy is directly proportional to mass defect, as described by Einstein's equation E=mc².

Front

What is the significance of mass defect in nuclear reactions?

Back

Mass defect indicates the stability of a nucleus; a larger mass defect generally means a more stable nucleus.

Front

What is the relationship between mass defect and nuclear stability?

Back

A greater mass defect usually correlates with higher binding energy, indicating greater nuclear stability.

Front

What is the unit of binding energy?

Back

Binding energy is typically measured in mega-electronvolts (MeV) or joules (J).

Front

What happens to mass defect during nuclear fission?

Back

During nuclear fission, the mass defect increases as the products have a greater binding energy than the original nucleus.